Above is a significant gap in our protected bike-and-roll mobility network – Pandora east of Cook to Fort Junction. (Blue is the protected network and orange is paint, and paint is not protection.) If we fill this gap, the Pandora lane and those it connects with will be directly connected to the Fort lanes, which extend east to Oak Bay.
Here’s another nearby gap, below. If we fill this one, the network will connect directly to the protected lanes on Shelbourne, which go north to Hillside Mall, to the protected Shelbourne lanes in Saanich, which connect to the protected lanes on McKenzie that lead to UVic, and extend all the way to Gordon Head and Pkols / Mount Doug.
Filling these gaps will enable safer, zero-emissions regional commuting to and from workplaces. People will also be able to ride and roll more safely to to cafes and restaurants, to the hospital, to schools and childcares, to arts and cultural spaces, and to their homes.
This will help to reduce traffic congestion in Victoria, and local air pollution and GHG emissions.
Most importantly, filling these gaps will allow more freedom of choice for seniors, parents with toddlers, children and other people who currently feel unsafe to mix with traffic.
Below is the motion that Councillor Matt Dell and I are bringing on Thursday to fill these gaps and improve safety. As it notes, the motion I brought in 2024 to build the Shelbourne lanes north of Hillside was supported by Council unanimously. We shall see if the election this year makes a difference to how Council members vote on safety.
